Plan on about 9 h 19 min of driving for the 481-mile (774 km) trip from Salina Cruz to Actopan, before any stops.
| Total distance | 481 mi (774 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-185 → MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
How the Salina Cruz to Actopan drive plays out
MEX-190 (161 mi) and MEX-135D (151 mi) carry about 65% of the 481 miles. It runs through 5 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Salina Cruz to Actopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-185 | 0–11 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 11–172 | 161 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-135D | 172–323 | 151 | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 323–392 | 69 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 392–393 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 393–438 | 45 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 438–442 | 4 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 442–458 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 458–481 | 23 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 272 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 397 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 420 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 428 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 440 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
What to see on the way from Salina Cruz to Actopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Yagul (mile 145), Lambityeco (mile 148), Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (mile 165), Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca (mile 165), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 375)
- Nature and outdoors: Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (mile 165), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 280)
- Museums and history: Guiengola (mile 18), Yagul (mile 145), Lambityeco (mile 148), Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca (mile 165), Fort Guadalupe (mile 372), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 375)
- With kids: Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo (mile 460)
Guiengola
Guiengola is a Late Postclassic Zapotec archaeological site near Santo Domingo Tehuantepec, on high ground above the Tehuantepec River and known as a fortified settlement.
Yagul
On a rocky hill in Oaxaca's Tlacolula Valley, Yagul is a Zapotec site whose builders linked platforms by paths. Explore the Palace of the Six Patios, a ball court, tombs and a fortress wall with lookouts.
Lambityeco
Lambityeco is a small Zapotec archaeological site just off Highway 190, about 3 km west of Tlacolula de Matamoros and roughly 25 km east of Oaxaca on the way to Mitla.
Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden
Next to the Church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca City, the Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca) is a botanical garden covering about 2.3 acres.
Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca
Founded by artist Francisco Toledo, the Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca is an art school in Oaxaca de Juárez that holds a large collection of Latin American artwork.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
This arid valley straddling Puebla and Oaxaca joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2018 as a mixed site. It is a major center of cactus diversity and preserves ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams built to manage scarce water.
Fort Guadalupe
Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.
La Constancia Mexicana
A textile factory founded in 1835 in Puebla now houses the La Constancia museum complex, with a children's museum, a puppet house, a Mexican music museum, an automobile museum and a park of miniature world monuments.
Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo
Pachuca's Bioparque de Convivencia is a rescue and recovery center for wild, exotic and endemic animals saved from abuse, abandonment or risk, housing a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation unit.
More drives to Actopan
- Tulancingo to Actopan
- Tepotzotlán to Actopan
- Mexico City to Actopan
- Tequisquiapan to Actopan
- Toluca to Actopan
- Cuernavaca to Actopan
From Salina Cruz to other places in Mexico
- Salina Cruz to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Salina Cruz to San Juan Chamula
- Salina Cruz to Ocosingo
- Salina Cruz to Tapijulapa
- Salina Cruz to Huamantla
- Salina Cruz to Ixtenco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Salina Cruz to Actopan?
About 9 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 481 miles.
How far is Actopan from Salina Cruz by car?
About 481 miles (774 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Salina Cruz to Actopan?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Salina Cruz to Actopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Salina Cruz to Actopan use?
In order: MEX-185, MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132 and MEX-88. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Salina Cruz and Actopan?
Closest to the road: Lambityeco (archaeological site, mile 148, 0.2 mi from the route); Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (botanical garden, mile 165, 0.4 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 375, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.